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News Release Information

19-1603-DAL
Thursday, September 26, 2019

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:
  • (972) 850-4800

Dallas-Fort Worth Area Employment — August 2019

Total nonfarm employment in the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington Metropolitan Statistical Area stood at 3,810,900 in August 2019, up 115,800 over the year, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. From August 2018 to August 2019, local nonfarm employment rose 3.1 percent compared to the national rate of 1.4 percent. (See chart 1 and table 1.) Assistant Commissioner for Regional Operations Stanley W. Suchman noted that among the 12 largest metropolitan areas in the country, Dallas ranked first in the annual rate of job growth and second in the number of jobs added over the year. (See chart 3 and table 2; the Technical Note at the end of this release contains the metropolitan area definitions. All data in this release are not seasonally adjusted; accordingly, over-the-year analysis is used throughout.)

The Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington Metropolitan Statistical Area consists of two metropolitan divisions – separately identifiable employment centers within the larger metropolitan area. The Dallas-Plano-Irving Metropolitan Division, which accounted for 72 percent of the area’s workforce, added 100,300 jobs from August a year ago, an increase of 3.8 percent. The Fort Worth-Arlington Metropolitan Division, which accounted for the remaining 28 percent of the area’s workforce, added 15,500 jobs during the 12-month period, a gain of 1.5 percent.

Industry employment

Professional and business services added 28,100 jobs in the area from August 2018 to August 2019, the largest gain of any local supersector. The Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington area’s 4.5-percent annual rate of job growth in this supersector was more than double the U.S. increase of 2.1 percent. (See chart 2.) The Dallas-Plano-Irving division was responsible for the local area’s job gains in this sector, up 33,900, while the Fort Worth-Arlington division lost 5,800 jobs over the year.

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington added 15,300 jobs in leisure and hospitality from August 2018. The local 3.9-percent annual growth rate compared to the national increase of 1.8 percent. Employment growth occurred primarily in the Dallas-Plano-Irving metropolitan division, adding 13,400 jobs, a 5.0-percent gain.

Trade, transportation, and utilities, the metropolitan area’s largest supersector, added 14,900 jobs from August 2018 to August 2019. The 1.9-percent rate of local job growth compared to the national gain of 0.3 percent. Locally, employment rose in all three sub-sectors: transportation, warehousing, and utilities (+7,200); wholesale trade (+6,200); and retail trade (+1,500). Both metropolitan divisions added jobs over the year.

Mining, logging, and construction added 14,700 jobs locally, a 6.6-percent gain over the year. The Dallas-Plano-Irving metropolitan area added jobs at a faster pace than the Fort Worth-Arlington area, as employment in this sector expanded 8.4 percent and 3.0 percent, respectively.

Financial activities added 14,000 jobs from August 2018 to August 2019. The local 4.6-percent rate of annual growth compared to the national rate of 1.3 percent. Locally, employment also rose at a 4.6-percent pace in both Fort Worth-Arlington and Dallas-Plano-Irving.

Employment was up 12,600 over the year in education and health services in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington. The area’s 2.8-percent rate of job growth compared to the U.S. rate of 2.5 percent. Both metropolitan divisions gained jobs over the year.

Three other local sectors had annual job gains ranging from 6,700 to 4,100 from August 2018 to August 2019: manufacturing (+6,700), government (+6,300), and other services (+4,100).

Employment in the 12 largest metropolitan areas

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington was 1 of the nation’s 12 largest metropolitan statistical areas in August 2019. All 12 areas had over-the-year job growth during the period, with the rates of job growth in 6 areas exceeding the national average of 1.4 percent. Dallas had the fastest rate of job growth, up 3.1 percent, followed by Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land and Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale (+2.7 percent each). Chicago-Naperville-Elgin and Washington-Arlington-Alexandria had the slowest annual rates of job growth (+1.0 percent each), followed by Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim (+1.2 percent). (See chart 3 and table 2.)

New York-Newark-Jersey City added the largest number of jobs over the year, 134,200, followed by Dallas with 115,800 jobs. Washington had the smallest employment gain over the year, adding 33,600 jobs, followed by Boston-Cambridge-Nashua with 39,600 jobs. Annual gains in the remaining eight metropolitan areas ranged from 81,900 in Houston to 41,500 in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington.

Over the year, education and health services added the most jobs in seven areas: Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, New York, Philadelphia, and Phoenix. Professional business services added the most jobs in three areas: Dallas, Houston, and San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward. Leisure and hospitality was the leading job producer in Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell and Washington.

The information sector recorded the largest employment loss in five areas since August 2018: Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Miami, and Phoenix. The trade, transportation, and utilities sector lost the most jobs in Boston, Philadelphia, and Washington.

Metropolitan area employment data for September 2019 are scheduled to be released on Friday, October 18, 2019, at 10:00 a.m. (ET).


Technical Note

This release presents nonfarm payroll employment estimates from the Current Employment Statistics (CES) program. The CES survey is a Federal-State cooperative endeavor between State employment security agencies and the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Definitions. Employment data refer to persons on establishment payrolls who receive pay for any part of the pay period that includes the 12th of the month. Persons are counted at their place of work rather than at their place of residence; those appearing on more than one payroll are counted on each payroll. Industries are classified on the basis of their principal activity in accordance with the 2017 version of the North American Industry Classification System.

Method of estimation. CES State and Area employment data are produced using several estimation procedures. Where possible these data are produced using a "weighted link relative" estimation technique in which a ratio of current-month weighted employment to that of the previous-month weighted employment is computed from a sample of establishments reporting for both months. The estimates of employment for the current month are then obtained by multiplying these ratios by the previous month's employment estimates. The weighted link relative technique is utilized for data series where the sample size meets certain statistical criteria.

For some employment series, the sample of establishments is very small or highly variable. In these cases, a model-based approach is used in estimation. These models use the direct sample estimates (described above), combined with forecasts of historical (benchmarked) data to decrease volatility in estimation. Two different models (Fay-Herriot Model and Small Domain Model) are used depending on the industry level being estimated. For more detailed information about each model, refer to the BLS Handbook of Methods.

Annual revisions. Employment estimates are adjusted annually to a complete count of jobs, called benchmarks, derived principally from tax reports that are submitted by employers who are covered under state unemployment insurance (UI) laws. The benchmark information is used to adjust the monthly estimates between the new benchmark and the preceding one and also to establish the level of employment for the new benchmark month. Thus, the benchmarking process establishes the level of employment, and the sample is used to measure the month-to-month changes in the level for the subsequent months.

Reliability of the estimates. The estimates presented in this release are based on sample surveys, administrative data, and modeling and, thus, are subject to sampling and other types of errors. Sampling error is a measure of sampling variability–that is, variation that occurs by chance because a sample rather than the entire population is surveyed. Survey data also are subject to nonsampling errors, such as those which can be introduced into the data collection and processing operations. Estimates not directly derived from sample surveys are subject to additional errors resulting from the specific estimation processes used. The sums of individual items may not always equal the totals shown in the same tables because of rounding.

Employment estimates. Measures of sampling error for the total nonfarm employment series are available for metropolitan areas and metropolitan divisions at www.bls.gov/web/laus/790stderr.htm. Measures of sampling error for more detailed series at the area and division level are available upon request. Measures of sampling error for states at the supersector level and for the private service-providing, goods-producing, total private and total nonfarm levels are available on the BLS website at www.bls.gov/web/laus/790stderr.htm. Information on recent benchmark revisions is available online at www.bls.gov/web/laus/benchmark.pdf.

Area definitions. The substate area data published in this release reflect the delineations issued by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, dated April 10, 2018. A detailed list of the geographic definitions is available at www.bls.gov/lau/lausmsa.htm.

The Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington Metropolitan Statistical Area includes Collin, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Hood, Hunt, Johnson, Kaufman, Parker, Rockwall, Somervell, Tarrant, and Wise Counties in Texas.

The Dallas-Plano-Irving Metropolitan Division includes Collin, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Hunt, Kaufman, and Rockwall Counties in Texas.

The Fort Worth-Arlington Metropolitan Division includes Hood, Johnson, Parker, Somervell, Tarrant, and Wise Counties in Texas.

Additional information

More complete information on the technical procedures used to develop these estimates and additional data appear in Employment and Earnings, which is available online at www.bls.gov/opub/ee/home.htm. Industry employment data for states and metropolitan areas from the CES program are also available in the above mentioned news releases and from the BLS website at www.bls.gov/sae/.

Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Federal Relay Service: (800) 877-8339.

Table 1. Employees on nonfarm payrolls by industry supersector, United States and Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metropolitan area and its components, not seasonally adjusted (numbers in thousands)
Area and IndustryAug.
2018
Jun.
2019
Jul.
2019
Aug.
2019(p)
Aug. 2018 to
Aug. 2019(p)
Net changePercent change

United States

Total nonfarm

149,453152,243151,169151,5172,0641.4

Mining and logging

75776276376250.7

Construction

7,5877,6997,7507,7641772.3

Manufacturing

12,80112,92612,92212,9341331.0

Trade, transportation, and utilities

27,66127,83127,80127,748870.3

Information

2,8512,8372,8482,85650.2

Financial activities

8,6468,7128,7608,7601141.3

Professional and business services

21,21621,58421,60421,6684522.1

Education and health services

23,44424,03223,94424,0215772.5

Leisure and hospitality

17,09617,40317,47817,3983021.8

Other services

5,8906,0146,0205,983931.6

Government

21,50422,44321,27921,6231190.6

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX Metropolitan Statistical Area

Total nonfarm

3,695.13,810.13,804.53,810.9115.83.1

Mining, logging, and construction

223.9234.2236.8238.614.76.6

Manufacturing

280.2286.7288.2286.96.72.4

Trade, transportation, and utilities

785.5799.2800.4800.414.91.9

Information

83.181.481.582.2-0.9-1.1

Financial activities

303.7312.3317.6317.714.04.6

Professional and business services

627.4647.2653.6655.528.14.5

Education and health services

453.0461.4462.8465.612.62.8

Leisure and hospitality

392.6411.8408.3407.915.33.9

Other services

125.8132.5130.8129.94.13.3

Government

419.9443.4424.5426.26.31.5

Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX Metropolitan Division

Total nonfarm

2,633.92,726.02,724.52,734.2100.33.8

Mining, logging, and construction

147.3155.4157.7159.712.48.4

Manufacturing

181.4184.4185.3184.32.91.6

Trade, transportation, and utilities

524.2530.9530.9532.28.01.5

Information

71.970.470.571.3-0.6-0.8

Financial activities

242.3248.4252.8253.511.24.6

Professional and business services

508.5531.9537.9542.433.96.7

Education and health services

315.5321.4322.9324.99.43.0

Leisure and hospitality

268.0285.3282.7281.413.45.0

Other services

85.892.491.190.24.45.1

Government

289.0305.5292.7294.35.31.8

Fort Worth-Arlington, TX Metropolitan Division

Total nonfarm

1,061.21,084.11,080.01,076.715.51.5

Mining, logging, and construction

76.678.879.178.92.33.0

Manufacturing

98.8102.3102.9102.63.83.8

Trade, transportation, and utilities

261.3268.3269.5268.26.92.6

Information

11.211.011.010.9-0.3-2.7

Financial activities

61.463.964.864.22.84.6

Professional and business services

118.9115.3115.7113.1-5.8-4.9

Education and health services

137.5140.0139.9140.73.22.3

Leisure and hospitality

124.6126.5125.6126.51.91.5

Other services

40.040.139.739.7-0.3-0.8

Government

130.9137.9131.8131.91.00.8

(p) preliminary


Table 2. Employees on nonfarm payrolls by industry supersector, 12 largest metropolitan areas, not seasonally adjusted (numbers in thousands)
Area and IndustryAug.
2018
Jun.
2019
Jul.
2019
Aug.
2019(p)
Aug. 2018 to
Aug. 2019(p)
Net changePercent change

Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA

Total nonfarm

2,805.62,841.72,835.82,848.142.51.5

Mining and logging

1.61.61.61.60.00.0

Construction

127.6134.6134.2133.76.14.8

Manufacturing

172.1174.0175.2175.43.31.9

Trade, transportation, and utilities

603.1606.6606.1604.21.10.2

Information

99.299.199.398.8-0.4-0.4

Financial activities

175.3174.6176.2176.81.50.9

Professional and business services

528.4539.2538.8538.09.61.8

Education and health services

357.6359.7360.4365.98.32.3

Leisure and hospitality

304.9318.5318.5319.414.54.8

Other services

101.898.699.398.5-3.3-3.2

Government

334.0335.2326.2335.81.80.5

Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH

Total nonfarm

2,770.92,837.12,819.32,810.539.61.4

Mining, logging, and construction

122.1122.3124.6123.31.21.0

Manufacturing

189.4189.5189.0189.0-0.4-0.2

Trade, transportation, and utilities

423.5426.0423.2421.1-2.4-0.6

Information

81.983.483.784.93.03.7

Financial activities

186.9186.7187.7188.11.20.6

Professional and business services

510.2513.7516.5519.18.91.7

Education and health services

571.7591.2592.6589.217.53.1

Leisure and hospitality

290.2299.4298.9296.76.52.2

Other services

107.7107.9109.7109.31.61.5

Government

287.3317.0293.4289.82.50.9

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI

Total nonfarm

4,782.94,873.14,848.54,830.447.51.0

Mining and logging

1.71.71.61.6-0.1-5.9

Construction

189.6189.7192.3190.71.10.6

Manufacturing

424.0430.2429.6428.14.11.0

Trade, transportation, and utilities

950.1962.4959.3959.49.31.0

Information

78.874.574.274.0-4.8-6.1

Financial activities

315.7317.0318.5316.71.00.3

Professional and business services

854.5859.7861.6859.75.20.6

Education and health services

719.9746.6739.0740.620.72.9

Leisure and hospitality

512.7531.4532.2522.09.31.8

Other services

200.1201.2199.6200.80.70.3

Government

535.8558.7540.6536.81.00.2

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX

Total nonfarm

3,695.13,810.13,804.53,810.9115.83.1

Mining, logging, and construction

223.9234.2236.8238.614.76.6

Manufacturing

280.2286.7288.2286.96.72.4

Trade, transportation, and utilities

785.5799.2800.4800.414.91.9

Information

83.181.481.582.2-0.9-1.1

Financial activities

303.7312.3317.6317.714.04.6

Professional and business services

627.4647.2653.6655.528.14.5

Education and health services

453.0461.4462.8465.612.62.8

Leisure and hospitality

392.6411.8408.3407.915.33.9

Other services

125.8132.5130.8129.94.13.3

Government

419.9443.4424.5426.26.31.5

Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX

Total nonfarm

3,085.03,185.23,166.93,166.981.92.7

Mining and logging

79.287.686.985.86.68.3

Construction

223.5229.6228.1227.13.61.6

Manufacturing

231.5240.9241.6243.011.55.0

Trade, transportation, and utilities

624.2630.4630.4630.76.51.0

Information

31.530.730.529.8-1.7-5.4

Financial activities

165.7166.6168.0168.83.11.9

Professional and business services

499.5516.4520.6522.322.84.6

Education and health services

396.4402.0400.3406.09.62.4

Leisure and hospitality

332.9341.1341.4337.64.71.4

Other services

111.9122.2120.3121.69.78.7

Government

388.7417.7398.8394.25.51.4

Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA

Total nonfarm

6,131.36,246.46,174.76,202.971.61.2

Mining and logging

2.42.42.52.50.14.2

Construction

257.7266.8269.6268.510.84.2

Manufacturing

504.5505.2505.4505.40.90.2

Trade, transportation, and utilities

1,111.01,104.71,108.41,108.5-2.5-0.2

Information

240.3236.9236.0241.31.00.4

Financial activities

343.4338.1341.6343.90.50.1

Professional and business services

943.9947.8951.8960.816.91.8

Education and health services

1,039.71,066.71,057.31,068.829.12.8

Leisure and hospitality

766.7788.4784.6783.616.92.2

Other services

211.1215.5213.7213.52.41.1

Government

710.6773.9703.8706.1-4.5-0.6

Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL

Total nonfarm

2,672.72,703.82,699.82,725.853.12.0

Mining and logging

0.70.70.70.70.00.0

Construction

138.9143.5143.5141.72.82.0

Manufacturing

89.891.591.891.82.02.2

Trade, transportation, and utilities

603.6607.8606.4606.93.30.5

Information

51.950.650.450.1-1.8-3.5

Financial activities

184.4186.2186.5187.73.31.8

Professional and business services

446.8459.1461.3461.314.53.2

Education and health services

397.9413.9413.6417.019.14.8

Leisure and hospitality

323.1330.4328.2327.64.51.4

Other services

122.8126.3126.4126.73.93.2

Government

312.8293.8291.0314.31.50.5

New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA

Total nonfarm

9,803.810,058.89,990.29,938.0134.21.4

Mining, logging, and construction

420.9433.5435.7436.515.63.7

Manufacturing

362.2366.9364.6363.21.00.3

Trade, transportation, and utilities

1,717.51,746.31,727.81,722.04.50.3

Information

296.0296.5297.5297.01.00.3

Financial activities

794.4780.9785.7783.6-10.8-1.4

Professional and business services

1,586.91,607.51,595.01,590.73.80.2

Education and health services

1,926.22,036.82,001.61,995.969.73.6

Leisure and hospitality

985.21,009.41,025.01,019.934.73.5

Other services

425.0437.2436.6435.410.42.4

Government

1,289.51,343.81,320.71,293.84.30.3

Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD

Total nonfarm

2,919.02,988.02,958.02,960.541.51.4

Mining, logging, and construction

121.8128.0128.7128.46.65.4

Manufacturing

182.7183.5183.3183.00.30.2

Trade, transportation, and utilities

519.4520.9518.8515.9-3.5-0.7

Information

48.549.049.149.40.91.9

Financial activities

217.6218.6218.8219.31.70.8

Professional and business services

467.0478.7475.7478.611.62.5

Education and health services

640.3653.9650.4652.111.81.8

Leisure and hospitality

285.0293.3293.3291.16.12.1

Other services

122.2125.2124.1123.51.31.1

Government

314.5336.9315.8319.24.71.5

Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ

Total nonfarm

2,102.82,126.52,117.72,160.457.62.7

Mining and logging

3.73.73.73.70.00.0

Construction

126.0137.4137.0137.011.08.7

Manufacturing

128.4134.8136.0136.58.16.3

Trade, transportation, and utilities

402.6408.8409.0411.38.72.2

Information

38.638.237.637.8-0.8-2.1

Financial activities

193.3193.7193.4196.63.31.7

Professional and business services

355.2361.4360.0359.74.51.3

Education and health services

324.5333.7335.2338.614.14.3

Leisure and hospitality

224.7228.7227.2228.03.31.5

Other services

69.270.770.171.11.92.7

Government

236.6215.4208.5240.13.51.5

San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA

Total nonfarm

2,449.72,512.32,506.22,508.859.12.4

Mining and logging

0.30.30.30.30.00.0

Construction

127.4137.6137.3137.510.17.9

Manufacturing

146.6143.7144.1144.0-2.6-1.8

Trade, transportation, and utilities

379.6377.4379.7379.5-0.10.0

Information

119.2123.0123.8124.45.24.4

Financial activities

142.9145.8147.7147.24.33.0

Professional and business services

500.7516.7522.0522.221.54.3

Education and health services

352.1365.6363.3364.412.33.5

Leisure and hospitality

279.4286.0286.4285.76.32.3

Other services

89.187.587.486.7-2.4-2.7

Government

312.4328.7314.2316.94.51.4

Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV

Total nonfarm

3,301.13,359.73,361.13,334.733.61.0

Mining, logging, and construction

164.6162.8164.9167.32.71.6

Manufacturing

56.056.256.455.4-0.6-1.1

Trade, transportation, and utilities

405.9405.8404.0401.5-4.4-1.1

Information

74.573.673.973.2-1.3-1.7

Financial activities

160.2158.3157.1158.0-2.2-1.4

Professional and business services

770.6778.6784.5780.09.41.2

Education and health services

435.9443.3443.8444.88.92.0

Leisure and hospitality

346.0362.9361.1361.615.64.5

Other services

210.1212.0214.0213.13.01.4

Government

677.3706.2701.4679.82.50.4

(p) preliminary

 

Last Modified Date: Thursday, September 26, 2019